Page 77 of The Wild Charge

Who was the stupid titnow, Tenny?

Fox traded a glance with Walsh and caught the gleam of amusement; Raven pressed her lips together tightly as she witnessed the whole thing, eyes dancing.

“I like your hair,” Cassandra said, blush deepening. “It looks really good like that.”

It hung to his shoulders in ungroomed waves that Fox wanted to take the scissors to.

Reese touched it, brow furrowing. “Oh. Thanks.”

Tenny’s jaw could have cut glass.

What a delightful disaster.

“Cassie, I believe those are our bags, dear,” Raven said.

“I’ll get those,” Walsh said. He flicked Fox in the arm, which meantcome along and help. Probably with ashitheadtacked on.

But Fox stood rooted, watching as Cassandra turned away from Reese, reluctantly, and stopped dead when she got caught up in Tenny’s gaze.

“Hi,” she said, quailing visibly. “You’re – you’re Tenny.”

“Obviously,” Tenny said through grit teeth.

Cassandra wet her lips. “I’m – I’m Cassandra. I guess we’re brother and sister, huh?” Her laugh puffed airless and tight. “At least now we’re an even number. Ten. Oh, is that why your name is–”

Tenny dragged in a breath that was half a growl, and opened his mouth to cut her off.

“Tenny,” Reese said, low and even – a warning – and Tenny’s teeth clicked together as his jaw snapped shut.

Interesting.

“Come on, Cass.” Raven draped an arm over Cassandra’s shoulders and led her away. “We can’t make King carry all the bags.”

Walsh had come in a separate vehicle so that he could take the girls straight back to the farm, and so they didn’t have to interact with Maddox – who was due to arrive any minute. “You’re all coming to dinner tonight, aren’t you?” Raven asked, as they left.

“I’d never miss a chance to sit at Emmie’s table,” Fox said, just to be a prick, and earned alookfrom Walsh as reward.

“You’re both invited as well,” Raven told the boys, and then Walsh ushered them off toward the escalator before Tenny could start growling again.

When they were gone, Fox turned to his brother, no longer trying to check his smile, and said, “Please, please take this the wrong way when I say that you’re unbelievable.”

Tenny smirked. “Always room in the fan club.” But his expression lacked its usual self-pleased sharpness; was nearly a grimace instead.

Fox glanced toward Reese, who gazed on Tenny with something like concerned fondness.

Dinner, Fox decided, was going to be more entertaining than this evening’s op.

~*~

Maddox showed up fifteen minutes later, ballcap pulled low over his face, boots scuffed and jeans tattered at the hem, carrying nothing but a worn, leather duffel over one shoulder. Nothing of the polished, suit-clad FBI agent remained; even his chin was scruffy, his hair curling too long behind his ears under his cap. He looked older, his face lined – but younger, too. Lost.

Fox would have felt sorry for him if he was in the habit of feeling sorry for anyone.

Maddox spotted Fox and shifted course, tugging the brim of his cap lower like he was trying to hide from the cameras. For their part, none of them had worn their cuts, but Fox wasn’t worried about the airport; that wasn’t the place that would trip them up.

“Agent,” he greeted, when Maddox arrived, offering his hand.

Maddox sighed. “Stop calling me that.” He accepted the shake, though.

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